LION Scientific name -Panthera leo

LION

Scientific name -Panthera leo

The lion is a member of the Felidae family,and one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera.The lion is called the king of all animals.

Range and habitat

Lion lives in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia. The lion prefers to live in open woodlands and thick bush, scrub, and tall grassy areas.

Physical characteristics

Their colour may vary from yellowish to brownish.The lion males weigh up to 420 pounds and are about 50 inches tall.They have got muscular body covered with a beautiful fur, strong legs with sharp retractable claws and a long tail.

Subspecies

There are eight subspecies:

· The Asiatic Lion or South Asian, Persian, or Indian Lion, once was widespread from Turkey, across Southwest Asia, to Pakistan, India, and even to Bangladesh,now around 300 exist in and near the Gir Forest of India.

· The Barbary Lion, originally ranged from Morocco to Egypt. It is extinct in the wild due to excessive hunting, as the last wild Barbary lion was killed in Morocco in 1922.This was one of the largest of the lion subspecies.

· The West African Lion, is found in western Africa, from Senegal to Nigeria.

· The Northeast Congo Lion, is found in the northeastern parts of the Congo.

· The East African, Massai Lion or Tsavo Lion, is found in east Africa, from Ethiopia and Kenya to Tanzania and Mozambique.

· The Southwest African or Katanga Lion, is found in southwestern Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Angola, Katanga (Zaire), Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

· The Southeast African Lion or Transvaal Lion, is found in the Transvaal region of southeastern Africa, including Kruger National Park.

· The Cape Lion, became extinct in the wild around 1860. Results of mitochondrial DNA research do not support the status as a distinct subspecies. It seems probable that the Cape lion was only the southernmost population of the extant.

Hunting and diet

It feeds on a huge variety of animals. When preying it can reach the speed of 60 km per hour and leap even 12 metres. No animal is safe when the lion is preying even not the lions themselves.The prey consists mainly of large mammals, with a preference for wildebeest, impalas, zebras, buffalo, and warthogs in Africa and nilgai, wild boar, and several deer species in India.

Predatory

Hyenas are the only animals which kill lions for food. But sometimes hyenas themselves end up as a lion’s prey.

Reproduction

Most lionesses will have reproduced by the time they are four years of age and all females of reproductive maturity will breed at the same time.Its Gestation period 110 days.Lions gives birth to 1-6 cubs.The cubs are born blind and helpless, and weigh approximately 2-4 pounds. Cub mortality is very high in lions, and less than half will survive their first year.

Life expectancy

Lions live for ten to fourteen years in the wild, while in captivity they can live longer than twenty years. In the wild, males seldom live longer than ten years, as injuries sustained from continual fighting with rival males greatly reduce their longevity.